Google I/O 2017 – 7 Biggest Announcements

2017 has surely been a year of technology and we have only just begun. Google holds an annual developer conference every year that lasts for 2-3 days and some pretty exciting things are announced each year. This year Google has tried to focus on developers as well as customers so that everyone is equally excited. A lot of things were revealed on Day 1 and by the looks of it, this year is going to be good. So here we bring the biggest announcements from Day 1 of the Google I/O 2017 conference that is being held in Mountain View, California from May 17-19.

Android has surpassed 2 Billion monthly active devices

You read that right, thedominance of Android is now stronger than ever. CEO of Google Sundar Pichai revealed at the keynote that over 2 billion people now use Android regularly. However, these users are not limited to any one device. The total tally of 2 billion include people who use anything that runs Android which contains but is not limited to Smartphones, Tablets, Android TVs etc.

This is a huge milestone for Google as this kind of unprecedented growth is good for the company and the developers in general.

Google Lens

Through the power of Google Lens, the Google Assistant is now more aware of our surroundings than ever. The Google Assistant now recognizes your environment and displays content that is relevant to only you. You can directly use your lens to analyze your environment. Pointing at a flower or plant you don’t know will instantly bring up its name! Want to see the restaurant you’re dining at is good? Point the assistant towards the front and ratings and reviews will come up. Moreover, you can automatically connect to an unrecognized Wi-Fi by simply scanning its credentials. The assistant will automatically sign in for you.

It is going to be a tight race in the coming months as leading companies like Samsung and Facebook are also experimenting with visual technologies but Google will surely steer things in the right direction.

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Google Assistant now on iPhone

iOS users can now rejoice as starting today the Google Assistant will now be available on the IOS platform which means iPhone users can install it and use it right away. Google has promised maximum functionality and support to IOS as they are trying to expand their customer base to other operating systems.

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Standalone Virtual Reality

Even though virtual reality headsets like Samsung Vr and Oculus Rift are present, they require smartphones and computers to be used and this is where Google took a very different approach. The new Virtual Reality headset by Google called the Daydream will require no external computing devices to function. Using a technology called ‘World Sense’ which is directly taken from Tango augmented reality system, the Daydream headset will track virtual space effortlessly.

Not only that but Google also promised that partnering companies including Lenovo and HTC will have the same privilege in their future headsets. No release date has been given as of yet except a ‘Coming Soon’ notion but seeing as how fast the search engine is progressing we can expect an update pretty soon.

Android O

Google has finally launched its preview program for the Android O. Users can now enroll in the Beta and enjoy some experimental features that will be present in the next major Android update. These features as seen in the keynote include apicture in picture, notification improvements etc. Be warned though, the preview program might be very unstable as it is only in its initial stages but impatient ones may go right in.

Google will add more features in the coming months and hopefully release the major update soon enough.

New Artificial Intelligence Chip

This one is for the geeks here. Google has announced the release of a new chip that will aid machine learning and will work directly on the company’s TensorFlow platform. This new chip will ensure that research and building on artificial intelligence are done twice as fast than Google’s competitors.

This is good news for users too as the new TPU chip is also optimized to work with TensorFlow which will essentially transform its cloud computing platform for AI on Android which means better opportunities for your phone and lots of exciting new features in the future.

Improved Google Home – Free Calling & Better Integration

Users in the US & Canada can enjoy better functionality from their Google Home speaker. Home is now going to be much more powerful and will have far more control than ever. Google Home can now control services like Hulu, SoundCloud, HBO Now and more. Moreover, Google has now opened up access to the speakers Bluetooth radio which means you can use it just as a speaker too.

A new method Google is calling ‘Visual Responses’ will now make Home even smarter. Through integration with the Google Assistant, Home will now show relevant information in the relevant screen. This will allow Home to direct information to your Chromecast connected Smart TV. You can ask Google Home for directions and they will be wirelessly sent to your phone.

This poses a direct and a serious threat to Amazon Echo as the E-Retail giant also relies on the same technology and uses the same methods. However, all of this is still in development stages you might find some issues. We can only hope such technologies to other countries soon.

The folks over at Google have surpassed our expectations and really delivered a lot and this is only Day 1. More announcements are bound to come and we hope they will be more exciting than ever. Let us know what you think will be the next major announcement down in the comments below and keep watching this space for more happenings at the Google I/O 2017 Conference.

About the AuthorUpanishad Sharma

A hardcore gamer and a technology addict, his desire to dive into the world of electronics is only second to his love of writing. Currently studying to be a journalist, he is also an avid reader and writes short stories as a hobby.

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